Until last week, I did not really know what kind of game Rome: Total War was.
2Lions had mentioned it several times when we have had conversations about games
we are looking forward to, but I had way too much on my plate with current game
assignments to give it much attention. Frankly, from what little I did know, I
assumed it was another Real Time Strategy game with a slightly different mode
for combat. When Activision called last week and wanted someone from ActionTrip
to come out to San Francisco to play Rome: Total War, you can understand how
disappointed 2Lions was that he was already committed to another appointment. So
when I arrived at the location they had setup for the play test of the game, I
was basically not expecting much.

I was in for a very pleasant, although looking back now, very short, four
hours of hands on time with Rome: Total War. I say short because after spending
four hours playing it, I cannot wait for the game to be released so I can play
it more. Upon arrival at the venue, I found that Activision had about twelve
workstations setup and networked with the most current build of the game
installed on each. Finding an open station, I sat down and quickly got started
on the game tutorial. If you have seen any of the screenshots, movies of game
play or tried the demo that was released on Monday; you know how rich the game
is in visuals. Thankfully, the designers did not put all their effort into
animations only, but kept that same level of quality in the voice over, music
and pacing of the game as well. The tutorial I went through played more like a
well made movie rather than training for a video game.

The screen opened onto a wide rolling field where an angry horde of
barbarians were poised across from an equal number of Roman troops. As the
camera panned and rotated around the battlefield, it quickly zoomed off to the
side of the battlefield to another small group of troops that would be my army.
As I was introduced to movement techniques, battle commands and camera controls
the game wove this process smoothly in with the revelation that as the player,
you will be playing a family in the Roman Empire and not just controlling a
generic army labeled 'The Romans'. This point will become pivotal later in the
game.

As soon as the movement and combat tutorial was over, I started the next
tutorial which exposed me to other aspects of the game. This encompassed city
management, troop building and movement, diplomacy and the other fine points
involved with building an empire. I do need to put something to rest right now
and that's the comparison that people are going to draw between Rome: Total War
and the Civilization series. To be fair, the game does have a lot in common with
Civ but saying that Rome is a 'me too' Civ clone is not a fair comparison. While
Civilatizon is a very entertaining and complex game, Rome: Total War builds on
what Civilization has established, refines the elements that made it so
enjoyable and adds a whole new element to the mix: the control of your armies in
combat. This is more than what we have come to expect in a standard RTS game.
Tactics, troop composition and use of the battlefield play a much greater role
and you really can take a battle that looks hopeless at the outset and pull out
a win. I'll get to the example of this that won me over in a moment.

As I was managing the three cities that I started the round with, I did some
things that were quite familiar to me in this kind of game: setting tax rates,
consulting advisors to determine what buildings I should construct to improve
life in the city and spur the population growth rate, set defenses and manage
troop queuing so I would not be completely defenseless. Turns represent six
months of time and soon I was caught up in the management of my domain. When I
ended my turn, I watched as other factions from Italy went through their orders
as smoothly animated men representing groups of troops bearing the standard of
their faction moved about. Ships sallied around the coast hurrying from one port
to another. Wagons and carts depicting trade routes wound their way on roads
between cities, carrying goods and money into my domain. Diplomats from factions
I was on good terms with made their way through the area of my control and
continue on their way to parts unknown. Basically, all the standard fare I had
come to expect from a turned-based strategy game.

After about a half an hour of managing my affairs and trying to grow my
little family into an Empire ruling dynasty, I got jumped by the damn Gaul in my
city furthest North, and most isolated from support. When troops assault a city,
they have the choice to lay siege to the town and try to starve them out over a
period of turns, attack immediately trying to batter down whatever defenses the
city has, or split the difference by laying siege to the city for a couple of
turns while siege engines are constructed to assist in the assault. The Gaul
must have been impatient or they assumed that I would muster a force and march
as quickly as I could up to support my endangered city. They chose to bite the
bullet and forge ahead with an immediate attack. The computer gave me a quick
run down of the enemy troop numbers compared to my defenses. Right away, things
did not look good. The Gaul outnumbered me three to one. Sure, I sat inside a
city with a barrier of wooden walls, but the computer forecast that my odds for
victory were not good. It also presented me with the option of allowing the
computer to quickly decide the outcome of the battle or (and this is an
important distinction) take command of my troops and try to pull my bacon out of
the fire. I was not going to go down without a fight.

After the screen zoomed in onto my besieged city, the scene dissolved into a
view of my troops tucked behind the wooden walls that surrounded them from over
fifteen hundred barbarians and their fury. As soon as I began taking inventory
of my troops, my heart sunk further. I had one regiment of archers, one regiment
of pike men, four regiments of light infantry, two regiments of peasants and two
regiments of cavalry, one of which was lead by my family leader and general. His
leadership skills and personal traits were an edge I hoped would prove the
difference between noble defeat and a complete route.

In Rome: Total War, all of the governors of your cities and commanders of
your armies, come from within your own family. As the turns go by, you will be
informed of marriages, deaths and ascension into manhood which signify a new
family member who is now fit for command in your Empire. These new recruits have
strengths and weaknesses that can add or detract to combat and the management of
your cities. In my case, it seemed there was a rather high amount of incest
going on in my family because the crop of future leaders I had to choose from
was the biggest bunch of slack jawed yokels and losers I have seen since the
Jerry Springer Show held a guest convention in my town. The mouth breathing
family I had to choose from included traits like Drunkard, Overbearing, Sickly
and my favorite, Slow. While they did have some redeeming qualities, they were
not the supermen I had hoped for to run my Empire.